Mobile device with flexible display and housing

ABSTRACT

A mobile device including various components in communication with one another, the mobile device comprising a flexible housing, flexible display device mounted in the housing, a deformation sensor mounted in the housing and a device controller configured to operate the mobile device responsive to receipt of data input from the flexible display device, wherein the device controller automatically deactivates the processing of at least a portion of data input received of the plurality of data input received from the display device responsive to receiving communication from the deformation sensor detecting a threshold level of deformation of the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to mobile electronic devices, such assmartphones and tablets, and more particularly, to mobile electronicdevices with improved portability and comfort features.

Mobile electronic devices generally include a housing or body and adisplay device supported by the body to be accessible on the bodysurface. The development of technology increasing the functionality ofthe phone and its components have led to the display has become theprimary input/output device. The displays are generally liquid crystaldisplays mounted under a rigid layer of cover glass. While the coverglass protects the liquid crystal display from damage, the rigid natureof the cover glass and other display layers render the displayinflexible.

Larger-sized displays have become more desirable as the use of mobileelectronic devices has grown. Many people now use a smartphone forwatching videos and viewing pictures instead of a laptop or PC. Asdisplays have grown, the size of the housing has been reduced to attemptto increase the portability of the device. The display most oftencomprises an entire side of the housing. While the larger sized displaysare appealing, the rigid layer on the display effectively renders theentire mobile device inflexible. When the mobile electronic device issmartphone, some flexibility from a mobile device would be desirable,particularly for carrying in a pants pocket.

Accordingly, it would be desirable and there is a need for mobiledevices with greater flexibility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is generally directed to mobile electronic devices, suchas smartphones, which are configured and adapted to be flexible orbendable, that is having a flexible display with a flexible housing thatis enabled for bending in multiple dimensions and directions responsiveto an applied force and then returning to a rest condition responsive tothe cessation of the applied force. In some embodiments, the housing isfurther constructed of a deformable material.

Some embodiments of the invention are directed to a mobile deviceincluding various components in communication with one another, themobile device comprising: a flexible housing; a flexible display devicemounted in the housing, wherein the display device includes atouch-sensitive layer for receiving a plurality of data input; adeformation sensor mounted in the housing, the sensor being configuredto detect a threshold level of deformation of the housing; and a devicecontroller configured to operate the mobile device responsive to receiptof data input from the flexible display device, wherein the devicecontroller automatically deactivates the processing of at least aportion of data input received of the plurality of data input receivedfrom the display device responsive to receiving communication from thedeformation sensor detecting a threshold level of deformation of thehousing.

In some embodiments of the aforementioned mobile device the devicecontroller automatically reactivates the processing of the portion ofdata input received responsive to the deformation sensor ceasing todetect a threshold level of deformation of the housing.

In some embodiments of the aforementioned mobile device the housing isconstructed of a material having a known resistance to deformation. Insome embodiments, the threshold level of deformation is less than orequal to the known resistance to deformation of the housing material.

Some embodiments of the invention are directed to a mobile deviceincluding various components in communication with one another, themobile device comprising: a flexible housing; a flexible display devicemounted in the housing, wherein the display device includes atouch-sensitive layer for receiving a plurality of data input; adeformation sensor mounted in the housing, the sensor being configuredto detect a threshold level of deformation of the housing; and a devicecontroller configured to operate the mobile device responsive to receiptof data input from the flexible display device, wherein the devicecontroller automatically deactivates the display device responsive toreceiving communication from the deformation sensor indicating at leasta threshold level of deformation of the housing.

In some embodiments of the aforementioned mobile device the devicecontroller automatically reactivates the display device responsive tothe deformation sensor ceasing to detect a threshold level ofdeformation of the housing.

In some embodiments of the aforementioned mobile device the devicecontroller is further configured to automatically deactivate theprocessing of at least a portion of data input received of the pluralityof data input received from the display device responsive to receivingcommunication from the deformation sensor detecting a threshold level ofdeformation of the housing.

Some embodiments of the invention are directed to a mobile deviceincluding various components in communication with one another, themobile device comprising: a flexible housing; a flexible display devicemounted in the housing, wherein the display device includes atouch-sensitive layer for receiving a plurality of data input; adeformation sensor mounted in the housing, the sensor being configuredto detect a threshold level of deformation of the housing; and a devicecontroller configured to operate the mobile device responsive to receiptof data input from the flexible display device, wherein the devicecontroller automatically deactivates the processing of at least aportion of data input received of the plurality of data input receivedfrom the display device responsive to receiving communication from thedeformation sensor detecting a threshold level of deformation of thehousing and reactivates the processing of the portion of data inputreceived responsive to the deformation sensor ceasing to detect athreshold level of deformation of the housing.

In some embodiments of the aforementioned mobile device the housing isfabricated of one or more materials from the group of silicone, neoprenerubber, natural gum rubber, latex and vinyl rubber.

In some embodiments of the aforementioned mobile device the flexibledisplay device is formed of one or more materials from the group offlexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, polymerlight-emitting diodes (PLEDs), and a display based on a plurality ofsurface-conduction electron-emitters (SEDs).

In some embodiments of the aforementioned mobile device the deformationsensor comprises a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure appliedon the housing.

In some embodiments of the aforementioned mobile device the housingfurther comprises rigid and flexible zones.

In some embodiments of the aforementioned mobile device the device isone of a smartphone, tablet, television or gaming device.

Other embodiments, features and advantages of the invention will bereadily appreciated and apparent from the following detailed descriptionwhen considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-3 are perspective views of an illustrative flexible electronicdevice in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description provides exemplary embodiments offlexible and deformable electronic devices. For illustrative purposes,the exemplary embodiments are depicted as smartphones. However, itshould be understood that the invention may also be embodied in anyportable electronic device or other suitable electronic device, such asa laptop computer, a tablet computer or a media player. A flexibleelectronic device may be provided with various flexible internal andexternal elements that allow the device to be flexible. The flexibleinternal elements may include a flexible display, flexible batteries,flexible circuit boards or other flexible electrical or supportelements, some of which may be relatively more or less flexible thanother elements, or combinations of flexible and rigid elements, asneeded to enable the device to be overall capable of being flexible.

It should be understood that in these embodiments the technology andcomponents for enabling smartphone functionality such as receivers,audio and speaker device, may vary while remaining within the scope ofthe invention which provides a smartphones capable of being flexed orbent between 0 degrees (at rest, or a planar, non-flexing condition) andabout 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal or latitudinal axes orrespective planes of the phone, in any direction. In other words,devices, such as device 10 discussed below, is sufficiently flexible anddeformable to twist in multiple dimensions responsive to one or moreapplied forces.

In some embodiments, the applied force is comparable to the forceapplied to a smartphone in a pocket of a user as the user moves, such aswhen standing, sitting, walking or running, that is, the device conformsto the contours of a user's body when the user's body is pressed againstthe device, and possesses sufficiently resiliency to continuefunctioning and return to a non-flexed rest condition. In general theapplied force may be in the range of about 0.0001 Newton to about 20Newtons.

FIG. 1 illustrates a smartphone of the invention generally referred toby the reference numeral 10. Smartphone or device 10 includes a flexibledisplay 12. Flexible display 12 may be fabricated of one or more oflayers of flexible electronic ink displays, organic light-emitting diode(OLED) display, polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs), a display basedon a plurality of surface-conduction electron-emitters (SEDs). Incertain embodiments, display 12 is a touch-screen coupled to atouch-screen controller or other touch-sensitive display overlay toenable interaction with any images displayed on a display device. Itshould be appreciated that the display devices may be of any suitablesizes, shapes, and configurations.

In this embodiment, display 12 is a touch-sensitive display. However,the display may include sensors for detecting input such as strain gaugesensors, proximity sensors, piezoelectric sensors or capacitive sensors(sensors measuring force and/or touch events using capacitancemeasurements), ambient light sensors, touch sensors, force sensors,temperature sensors, pressure sensors, magnetic sensors, accelerometers,gyroscopes and other sensors for measuring orientation (e.g., positionsensors, orientation sensors), microelectromechanical systems sensors,and other sensors. Such sensors may measure applied force from a user'sfingers or other source of pressure, as well as make capacitancemeasurements to determine the position of a user's fingers on display12.

Device 10 includes a housing 14, which may also be referred to as acase. Housing 14 may be formed of one or more of a deformable or elasticmaterial, such as an elastomer or other polymer with viscoelasticity,silicone, neoprene rubber, natural gum rubber, latex, vinyl rubber(PVC), or a rigid material like plastic, glass, ceramics, fibercomposites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), othersuitable materials, or a combination of these materials. For example,housing 14 may be comprised of portions of rigid materials and flexiblematerials alternately connected to one another to create a compositecasing that can be flexible and deformable in certain locations. Any ofthese materials may be further encased in a deformable material.

Housing 14 may be provided with features such as speaker ports,microphone ports, connector ports such as illustrative connector port16, or other structures for accommodating sensors and antennas, or otherdevice features, all of which are mounted to compensate when device 10is flexed, that is, bent or twisted. Device 10 may also be provided withuser interface components (input-output components) such as buttons,microphones, speakers, piezoelectric actuators or (for receivingelectrical input from a user or tactile feedback to users). Thesecomponents may be mounted on device 10 to be accessible from outsidehousing 14, such as illustrative button 18.

Device 10 may include within housing 14 one or more components,electronics and circuitry collectively and illustratively referred toherein as device control elements 20. Control elements 20 may includestorage and processing circuitry for supporting the operation of device10. The storage and processing circuitry may include storage such ashard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or otherelectrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solidstate drive), volatile memory, etc. Processing circuitry in controlelements 20 may be used to control the operation of device 10. Theprocessing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors,microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, powermanagement units, audio chips, application specific integrated circuits,etc. Control elements 20 may be used to run software on device 10 suchas an operating system and mobile applications. Control elements 20 issecured and/or mounted on substrates within housing 14 to allow forflexing of device 10 without causing damage or interference to device 10operations. The mounting of control elements 20 may be in someembodiments on flexible substrates and/or positioned in housing 14within an outer casing of flexible, resilient and/or deformablematerial.

In some embodiments, control elements 20 is configured to include one ormore dual interconnections or redundant electrical contacts betweencomponents, or otherwise includes a greater amount of electricalconductive material at soldered points or connections to accommodate anyflexing of the control elements 20 responsive to the bending of device10.

In some embodiments, electrical signal paths formed by electricallyconductive materials within control elements 20, such as carbon,graphene, metals like aluminum or copper wiring, or conductive tracematerials, may have segments of electrically conductive materials of athickness or form, may be mounted with redundancies on a flexiblesubstrate material, or otherwise be configured in a pattern orarrangement, such as a serpentine configuration or other configurations,at least for the purpose of accommodating the flexing of device 10 whilemaintaining the electrical signal path and avoiding breakage ordisconnection.

In some embodiments, the electrically conductive materials andconnections, as well as some of the components forming control elements20, are configured and fabricated with materials that provide an abilityfor such materials, connections and/or components to be bendable orotherwise sufficiently flex to accommodate the flexibility of device 10.

In this embodiment, device 10 also includes a deformation sensor 22configured to detect flexing or deformations of all or part of thedevice 10, such as the deformations shown in FIGS. 1-3 . In someembodiments, control elements 20 cause device 10 to be automaticallyrendered inaccessible or locked responsive to detection of a thresholdamount of device 10 deformation. To render the device inaccessiblecontrol elements 20 may actuate a screen lock or suspend featureresponsive to the detection of deformation of device 10. The terminaccessible may refer to a variety of conditions of device 10. Forexample, device 10 may be made inaccessible as described herein butstill be partially or fully responsive to some input and may alsoreceive data and calls. Once device 10 is made inaccessible, a touch orpasscode verification to be made accessible again may be required.Alternatively, device 10 may automatically become accessible again orunlock responsive to deformation sensor 22 no longer detectingdeformation of device 10, or the conditions which are likely to resultin deformation of device 10, such as the detection of an application ofa threshold amount of pressure. Threshold amount as referred to hereinmay be any condition which either results or is likely to result in adeformation or flexing of device 10.

For example, if device 10 is made to bend when in the pocket of asitting person, device 10 is made inaccessible by the detection ofdeformation of device 10 received from deformation sensor 22, wherebyaccidental entries or “butt dialing” (that is, the action ofinadvertently calling someone when a mobile phone is the rear pantspocket) can be avoided.

In some embodiments, deformation sensor 22 is a pressure sensor whichdetects the application of sufficient or threshold amount of pressure ondevice 10 to cause an expected deformation of device 10. Responsive tosensor 22 detecting sufficient pressure to cause deformation of device10, device 10 may be locked until less than the threshold amount ofpressure is detected.

In general, a device such as described herein, may include at least oneor more processors or processing units and a system memory. Thecontroller typically also includes at least some form of computerreadable media. By way of example and not limitation, computer readablemedia may include computer storage media and communication media.Computer storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removableand non-removable media implemented in any method or technology thatenables storage of information, such as computer readable instructions,data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication mediatypically embody computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as acarrier wave or other transport mechanism and include any informationdelivery media. Those skilled in the art should be familiar with themodulated data signal, which has one or more of its characteristics setor changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal.Combinations of any of the above are also included within the scope ofcomputer readable media.

In some embodiments, a controller may include a processor, which asdescribed herein, includes any programmable system including systems andmicrocontrollers, reduced instruction set circuits (RISC), applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic circuits (PLC),and any other circuit or processor capable of executing the functionsdescribed herein. The above examples are exemplary only, and thus arenot intended to limit in any way the definition and/or meaning of theterm processor.

The order of execution or performance of the operations in theembodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein is notessential, unless otherwise specified. That is, the operations describedherein may be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified, andembodiments of the invention may include additional or fewer operationsthan those disclosed herein. For example, it is contemplated thatexecuting or performing a particular operation before, contemporaneouslywith, or after another operation is within the scope of aspects of theinvention.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention andalso to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention,including making and using any devices or systems and performing anyincorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is definedby the claims, and may include other examples that occur to thoseskilled in the art. Other aspects and features of the invention can beobtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appendedclaims. The invention may be practiced otherwise than as specificallydescribed within the scope of the appended claims.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the precise types ofhardware and components used in the device of the invention are notvital to the full implementation of the invention so long as the device,including the housing and display, can be flexed in multiple directionsin response to applied forces thereon, and not lose functionality overtime.

Although specific features of various embodiments of the invention maybe shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenienceonly. In accordance with the principles of the invention, any feature ofa drawing may be referenced and/or claimed in combination with anyfeature of any other drawing.

While exemplary devices, apparatus, systems and methods of the inventionhave been described herein, it should also be understood that theforegoing is only illustrative of a few particular embodiments withexemplary and/or preferred features, as well as principles of theinvention, and that various modifications can be made by those skilledin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.Therefore, the described embodiments should not be considered aslimiting of the scope of the invention in any way. Accordingly, theinvention embraces alternatives, modifications and variations which fallwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth by the claimsand any equivalents thereto.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A mobile device comprising: a flexiblehousing having a resistance to deformation; a flexible display devicemounted in the housing, wherein the display device includes atouch-sensitive layer for receiving data input; a deformation sensormounted in the housing, the sensor being configured to detect a forceapplied to the housing; and a controller configured to receivecommunication from the deformation sensor relating to the force applied,associate the force applied with a threshold level of force wherebydeformation of the housing may be caused, and deactivate the processingof at least a portion of the data input received from the display deviceresponsive to determining that the force applied is greater than orequal to the threshold level of force, wherein the threshold level offorce is relative to the resistance to deformation of the housing. 2.The mobile device of claim 1, wherein, subsequent to being deactivated,the controller reactivates the processing of data input responsive toreceiving a communication from the deformation sensor relating to theforce applied and determining that the force applied is less than thethreshold level of force.
 3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein thethreshold level of force is less than or equal to the resistance todeformation of the housing.
 4. A mobile device comprising: a flexiblehousing associated with a resistance to deformation; a flexible displaydevice mounted in the housing, wherein the display device includes atouch-sensitive layer for receiving data input; a deformation sensormounted in the housing, the sensor being configured to detect a forceapplied to the housing; and a controller configured to receivecommunication from the deformation sensor relating to the force applied,associate the force applied with a threshold level of force to causedeformation of the housing, and deactivate the display device responsiveto determining that the force applied is greater than the thresholdlevel of force, wherein the threshold level of force is related to theresistance to deformation of the housing.
 5. The mobile device of claim4, wherein, subsequent to being deactivated, the controller reactivatesthe display device responsive to receiving a communication from thedeformation sensor relating to the force applied and determining thatthe force applied is less than the threshold level of force.
 6. Themobile device of claim 4, wherein the threshold level of force is lessthan or equal to the resistance to deformation of the housing.
 7. Themobile device of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configuredto deactivate the processing of a portion of data input received fromthe display device responsive to determining that the force applied isgreater than the threshold level of force.
 8. A mobile devicecomprising: a flexible housing, wherein the flexible housing isassociated with a threshold level of deformation; a flexible displaydevice mounted in the housing, wherein the display device includes atouch-sensitive layer for receiving a plurality of data input; adeformation sensor mounted in the housing, the sensor being configuredto detect a force applied to the housing; and a controller configured tooperate the mobile device responsive to receipt of data input from theflexible display device, wherein the device controller deactivates theprocessing of at least a portion of data input received of the pluralityof data input received from the display device responsive to determiningthat the force applied to the housing is causing deformation of thehousing exceeding the threshold level of deformation and reactivates theprocessing of data input received thereafter responsive to thedeformation sensor ceasing to detect a threshold level of deformation ofthe housing.
 9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the housing isfabricated of one or more materials from the group of silicone, neoprenerubber, natural gum rubber, latex and vinyl rubber.
 10. The mobiledevice of claim 8, wherein the flexible display device is formed of oneor more materials from the group of flexible organic light-emittingdiode (OLED) display, polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs), and adisplay based on a plurality of surface-conduction electron-emitters(SEDs).
 11. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the deformation sensorcomprises a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure applied on thehousing.
 12. The mobile device of claim 8 wherein the housing furthercomprises rigid and flexible zones.
 13. The mobile device of claim 8,wherein the device is one of a smartphone, tablet, television or gamingdevice.